A Very Fond Farewell
by musikofthenight
Summary: Dilan leaves the city seeking peace and a something to do with her bachelor's degree in agriculture. When she moves to Castanet Island, she fits right in with all of the townspeople, but why is she keeping her motives a secret? Where does she disappear to all the time? And why does she talk to the air all the time? Only one person is suspicious enough to find out. M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Dilan slipped out the door and shifted the backpack on her shoulder. She glanced around to make sure that nobody had awoken from the door opening. _Good_, she thought. _I've got a few hours to get the hell out of here_. She pressed the button down on the door's handle so the lock wouldn't make the clicking noise as she closed it. Dilan pulled the hood of her jacket over her face and started walking down the street, anywhere away from the place she'd once called home. She glanced at the docks, where she had often seen a little boat bring food and cloth from some island, unknown to her, somewhere in the middle of the ocean. _Perfect, _Dilan thought, grinning. The sun was just beginning to rise and the docks were clear of any soul, so she ran over to the boat, ducking behind a tower of boxes when she heard a scuffle come from one of the alleys. When she peeked over the top of the boxes, there was an older man struggling to lift some boxes and crates onto the little dock of the ship. _There's no way I can sneak onboard now…maybe I can buy a ticket somewhere,_ Dilan mused, inching towards the edges of the stack. She peeked over it again, taking another good look at the captain of the boat. He looked tired, but there were no suspicious bulges in his coat as if he were carrying a weapon. Dilan took a deep breath and emerged from behind the stack of boxes.

"Excuse me," she cleared her throat and held up her hands as the captain whipped around to stare at her. "Where does this boat go?"

"This here boat goes to Castanet Island, ma'am," the captain responded with a smile, which strained as he bent over to pick up another box. "Everything that gets on gets left at Harmonica Town." Dilan grinned; a small island in the middle of nowhere that only has a one-way trip? It was exactly what she was looking for.

"How much would a young lady need to pay in order to get to Castanet Island?" Dilan asked, following the man to the edge of the boat.

"Look here, little lady," the captain set the box down on the dock with a slam and turned to face Dilan, panting a bit. "The good people of Castanet don't deal with currency like yours. I don't take people from the mainland out there. The people are hardworking and close-knit; nobody has moved there in years."

"Please, sir," Dilan could hear the blood rushing in her ears. "I have to get away from here. I won't bother anyone there. I promise, I just need a new beginning."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the captain shook his head and looked at Dilan, his smile fading. "I-"

"I know you'll say no," Dilan interrupted, clenching her fists. "But I have to get on that boat. I promise I'm not in any trouble with the law and I'm not going to cause any trouble on your island. I just need to get away for a little bit."

"I suppose if it's only for a short while," the captain rubbed his neck awkwardly, giving Dilan a once-over. "I know the mayor has a farm for sale, so I suppose you could stay there."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!" Dilan cried, throwing her arms around the captain. "Thank you!"

"All right, all right," the captain chuckled and broke out of the impromptu hug. "You can put your stuff on the deck. You can call me Pascal. What'd you say your name was?"

"I'm…Angela," Dilan replied, throwing her backpack and her duffel bag on the deck of the boat. "Let me help you with those!" She started stacking boxes on top of each other and carrying them over to the deck.

"Why, thank you, Angela," Pascal grinned and surveyed the small dock. "I think that's all we need for this season. We'll be off now, if you're ready."

"I'm ready," Dilan replied, standing by the prow of the boat and smelling the sea air. As the boat began to slowly cut through the water, Dilan looked to the left and could see the sun just barely winking at her through the puffy clouds, sending flashes of light all across the ocean waves. _Castanet Island, here I come!_ she thought, grinning.

"So this is Harmonica Town?" Dilan looked at the small collection of brightly painted buildings.

"Yeah," Pascal grinned at her wide eyes. "It's pretty small compared to the mainland, huh?"

"This is perfect!" Dilan beamed. "Where should we put all of these crates?"

"We can put these crates in Ozzie's Fish Shop," Pascal grunted, lifting two stacked on top of each other. "I'll have Owen and Gill come down here and distribute these to the shops that need them."

"Okay," Dilan hefted two more crates, wondering who Owen and Gill were. She followed Pascal to a small blue building that had a brightly painted fish on a sign that hung over the door. A little bell tinkled Pascal nudged the door open with his foot and Dilan set foot into the tidiest place she'd seen. There were displays of fish, but they were all so neatly labeled and straight that she found it hard to believe they weren't plastic. Nets dangled overhead, which made Dilan giggle and duck her head. Behind the desk stood a very tanned man whose eyes were squinted under a wide-brimmed straw hat.

"A new shipment, Pascal?" the man had the widest smile Dilan had ever seen.

"Yes, Ozzie," Pascal set the boxes on the floor of the shop with a thump and grasped Ollie's hand. "It's nice to be back on the island."

"Thanks for the supplies," Ozzie nodded enthusiastically. "Winter was a bit harsh this year, so you'll be causing a lot of smiles. I'll help carry the rest of—oh, who's this?" Ozzie had caught sight of Dilan as he'd turned around to go out the door.

"My name is Angela," Dilan replied, and after setting her boxes on the floor, she shook Ozzie's hand. "I'm interested in the farm that the mayor is selling."

"Excellent, excellent!" Ozzie laughed, pumping Dilan's hand up and down rigorously. "I've been saying that we need a new farmer around here! Off to Hamilton with you!" Ozzie practically pushed Dilan out the door, following her with Pascal trailing behind.

"Um, where's Hamilton?" Dilan replied meekly.

"Mayor Hamilton's building is that yellow one right by the bulletin board," Pascal replied, pointing Dilan towards a bright building that seemed in desperate need of a paint job. "He'll get you set up on your farm and everything."

"And before you go, have this!" Ozzie dumped a few fish into Dilan's hands, grinning widely. "Welcome to Harmonica Town! Come visit the shop after you've settled in for a few days!"

"Thank you both so much," Dilan smiled, touched by the kindness that these men had shown her already. "I'll see you as soon as I'm settled in." She grabbed her bags out of the boat and turned to examine the pathway that led to the Mayor's building. The roads through town seemed to be made of stone, and Dilan noticed that she was the only one walking around, her shoes making a lonely _thmp_ on the pathways. The town appeared to be several years behind the technology that the city that Dilan was from had the privilege of giving its' citizens. Dilan came upon the bulletin board that stood beside the Mayor's building and took a quick glance at it. It was covered with faded, weather-beaten papers announcing the opening of a bar and a new general store. The more recent-looking papers announced festivals and a circus on days that had passed within the last month, Dilan figured. She shrugged, looking past the bulletin board and at the door that the mayor apparently could be found behind. She drew a deep breath, closing her eyes and steeling herself. This was what would begin her new life, and she could feel the years in the city fall away from her. And Dilan opened the door with an eagerness that she hadn't felt for years.

**Author's Note:**

Thanks for checking out this little tale! Chase is definitely my favorite bachelor from the HM series and I'm super excited to actually be following the storyline of Harvest Moon: Animal Parade. No, Finn is not with Dilan when she first comes to the island, but don't worry, he'll bring the action with him! There are going to be quite a few boring chapters in the beginning just so I can get everything into Dilan's head, even though you all know what Harmonica Town looks like and such. But I hope that this will be a fun mystery story for us all! I don't plan on revealing Dilan's motives for moving to Castanet until quite a bit later, but I did want to explain that I don't want Hamilton to be a bad guy, or creepy. I hope to make this little world perfect and happy so that all of my plans can unfold correctly. If you're interested in more Harvest Moon (specifically Chase) I have another fanfiction that will be updated as soon as I get the file back! Thank you for reading and please review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

"So this is Harmonica Town?" Dilan looked at the small collection of brightly painted buildings.

"Yeah," Pascal grinned at her wide eyes. "It's pretty small compared to the mainland, huh?"

"This is perfect!" Dilan beamed. "Where should we put all of these crates?"

"We can put these crates in Ozzie's Fish Shop," Pascal grunted, lifting two stacked on top of each other. "I'll have Owen and Gill come down here and distribute these to the shops that need them."

"Okay," Dilan hefted two more crates, wondering who Owen and Gill were. She followed Pascal to a small blue building that had a brightly painted fish on a sign that hung over the door. A little bell tinkled Pascal nudged the door open with his foot and Dilan set foot into the tidiest place she'd seen. There were displays of fish, but they were all so neatly labeled and straight that she found it hard to believe they weren't plastic. Nets dangled overhead, which made Dilan giggle and duck her head. Behind the desk stood a very tanned man whose eyes were squinted under a wide-brimmed straw hat.

"A new shipment, Pascal?" the man had the widest smile Dilan had ever seen.

"Yes, Ozzie," Pascal set the boxes on the floor of the shop with a thump and grasped Ollie's hand. "It's nice to be back on the island."

"Thanks for the supplies," Ozzie nodded enthusiastically. "Winter was a bit harsh this year, so you'll be causing a lot of smiles. I'll help carry the rest of—oh, who's this?" Ozzie had caught sight of Dilan as he'd turned around to go out the door.

"My name is Angela," Dilan replied, and after setting her boxes on the floor, she shook Ozzie's hand. "I'm interested in the farm that the mayor is selling."

"Excellent, excellent!" Ozzie laughed, pumping Dilan's hand up and down rigorously. "I've been saying that we need a new farmer around here! Off to Hamilton with you!" Ozzie practically pushed Dilan out the door, following her with Pascal trailing behind.

"Um, where's Hamilton?" Dilan replied meekly.

"Mayor Hamilton's building is that yellow one right by the bulletin board," Pascal replied, pointing Dilan towards a bright building that seemed in desperate need of a paint job. "He'll get you set up on your farm and everything."

"And before you go, have this!" Ozzie dumped a few fish into Dilan's hands, grinning widely. "Welcome to Harmonica Town! Come visit the shop after you've settled in for a few days!"

"Thank you both so much," Dilan smiled, touched by the kindness that these men had shown her already. "I'll see you as soon as I'm settled in." She grabbed her bags out of the boat and turned to examine the pathway that led to the Mayor's building. The roads through town seemed to be made of stone, and Dilan noticed that she was the only one walking around, her shoes making a lonely _thmp_ on the pathways. The town appeared to be several years behind the technology that the city that Dilan was from had the privilege of giving its' citizens. Dilan came upon the bulletin board that stood beside the Mayor's building and took a quick glance at it. It was covered with faded, weather-beaten papers announcing the opening of a bar and a new general store. The more recent-looking papers announced festivals and a circus on days that had passed within the last month, Dilan figured. She shrugged, looking past the bulletin board and at the door that the mayor apparently could be found behind. She drew a deep breath, closing her eyes and steeling herself. This was what would begin her new life, and she could feel the years in the city fall away from her. And Dilan opened the door with an eagerness that she hadn't felt for years.


	3. Chapter 3

A tiny bell tinkled in greeting as the door to the Town Hall opened. Dilan stepped inside and immediately took a huge whiff of the air. It smelled stuffy, like nobody had been inside for a while, but there was a short, older man standing behind a desk that was placed in the back left corner of the room. A glance around the room showed that it was a lot more gloomy than the outside had promised; Dilan could see dark-colored paintings hanging around the room and a vase of flowers wilting on a table that was surrounded by dark, dusty green couches.

"Oh, hello!" The man behind the desk jumped, as if he wasn't expecting anyone to have shown up, and plastered a big smile on his face. "How can I help you?"

"My name is Di-Angela," Dilan replied, stumbling over the introduction as she struggled to remember the name she had told Pascal. "I heard that you have a ranch for sale?"

"I do have a ranch that is for sale, but it's farther away from town," the man raised an eyebrow. "Are you from the mainland? We haven't had anyone interested in settling down here for many years."

"Yes, I'm from the mainland," Dilan replied, fumbling in her backpack for her wallet. "I have money, I can pay for the land."

"We don't accept currency from the mainland," the man laughed, and held up a hand. "I'm willing to let you lease the land, and pay for it when you have earned the money from the crops and products that you sell. Does that sound good?"

"That sounds wonderful!" Dilan exclaimed, wide-eyed at the man's generous offer.

"Let's see…the land will cost you 4000 gold, and I'll give you another thousand so that you can get yourself started," the man beamed enthusiastically. "It's so exciting to have a new young citizen! I'm the Mayor, Hamilton. It's a pleasure to meet you, Angela."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, sir," Dilan smiled and shook the Mayor's hand. "Thank you for your generosity and kindness."

"This is Castanet hospitality," the Mayor replied, smiling even as he filled out some paperwork and stamped a few papers. "This paperwork confirms that you'll be the owner of the land now, and I'll give these to Gill to file."

"Thank you, sir," Dilan shook his hand once more. "Where is the land?"

"There's a path that leads out of town, and it will take you right by the land," Hamilton scurried over to the lone window in the building and pointed past a photography shop. "The land has a main house, a barn, and a coop as well as a plot of land for farming. Of course, you can buy some more plots once your business gets on its feet, and you can always renovate your buildings with help from the carpenter's shop." The Mayor scampered back to his desk and pulled out another piece of paper, older from the others that he had been writing on, and handed it to Dilan. "This is a map. I suggest that today you just walk around and introduce yourself to everyone once you get settled into the house."

"Thank you very much for all of your help, sir," Dilan beamed and waved, opening the door to the building.

"Good luck!" Hamilton grinned and shot her a thumbs-up as Dilan walked out and closed the door behind her. Dilan took a deep breath of the air once she got outside; it was much purer than that of the Town Hall, and it cleared her head and allowed her to focus on getting to her new home. **_My_**_ new home_, Dilan thought excitedly, setting off on the path that promised her fresh start. The path almost immediately forked off into two, one that followed the ocean and merged into a beach area for a bit, and another that followed the mountainline. Dilan glanced at each, and decided to take the higher path. _I'll get distracted if I go on the beach path_, she thought, and vowed to revisit the path when she had time. She struggled along for a bit, pulling the duffel bag of clothes on the ground at times when it got too heavy, but Dilan spotted a house soon enough and jogged as best she could to the entrance. Yes, it was a bit run-down, but she could fix it up. There was a bed and bedside table, kitchen counters, a bookshelf, a dresser, and a large chest that lined the walls of the small, one-room house. A table and four chairs stood in the center of the room, and there were a few windows that streamed light inside.

"This is perfect!" Dilan shouted, laughing and dropping her bags. It was the first thing that she herself had bought, something for her to own, something that had her name on it. Dilan unpacked her backpack happily, placing the snacks and instant food in the cabinets that hung above the kitchen counters. She unceremoniously dumped the clothes that she had brought with her into the first few drawers of the dresser. _I can sort that out later,_ she thought, heading towards the door. _For now, it's time to explore!_ It was barley midday, and Dilan glanced at the map as she closed the door behind her. She'd head out to Flute Fields first, and explore Marimba Farm and Horn Ranch. Maybe she could even buy her first seeds! Dilan set off down the path, keeping the map out in case she got lost. She could hear the lapping of waves against sand and figured that it was a beach again. That side of the island seemed fairly close to the sea, and she could tell that there'd be a lot of fishing to do. Dilan could now see Flute Fields in the not-to-distant distance, a few buildings and a large windmill and watermill. She hurriedly crossed a stone bridge that crossed the river and fed the watermill, setting foot on a path that forked again. Dilan looked at the map and decided to go to Marimba Farm first, to see what kinds of seeds they had to offer. As she walked past the watermill, she turned around to look at the river and smiled. Suddenly, her back slammed into something solid and caused her to lose all of her breath with a tiny squeak of surprise.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" an annoyed voice sounded behind Dilan, and she fearfully turned around, eyes wide with the shock and shame of running into a stranger. This particular stranger had a particularly grumpy frown and condescending violet eyes. He ran his hand through his peach-colored hair in frustration. "News flash: you don't actually have eyes in the back of your head."

"S-sorry," Dilan stuttered, still half-crouched from being nearly knocked over. "I'm new…"

"Well, I didn't know a change of scenery could make someone so dumb," the young man's frown deepened and he swept past her, walking down the path from which Dilan had come. She was thrilled; she had just met her first neighbor!

"It was wonderful to meet you!" she called after the young man, turning and skipping back down the path she had intended to go. Dilan saw a small cottage that stood off to the side of the large building that appeared to be Marimba Farm and wondered if perhaps it was the neighbor that she had just encountered. She looked at the mailbox. "Chase's House," Dilan murmured, scratching her chin thoughtfully. She shrugged and decided to continue on into the farmhouse. The outside featured a cheery blue roof as well as a brightly painted sign that advertised several different vegetables that could be bought. Dilan smiled hopefully and walked into the store, another bright little bell welcoming her into a warm and well-lit room that contained several tables covered with produce. A tired-looking woman was behind a counter in the back of the room, tending a cash register. There were two adjournments to the main room, but doors closed them off from Dilan's wandering eyes. As she took in the fresh smell of produce, the woman behind the counter cleared her throat.

"May I help you?" she asked, her voice high and a bit strained.

"Hello," Dilan smiled and approached the counter. "I'm a new farmer, I've bought the land up near the beach. My name is Angela. I was hoping to meet my new neighbors."

"Well, it's always delightful to have a new young person in town," the woman gave a halfhearted smile. "My name is Ruth, and I run Marimba farm with my husband, Craig. I'm afraid you've come at a rather bad time for farming…the fields have not been very fertile lately and my lazy husband can barely bring in enough money for us to eat."

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that," Dilan replied, eyebrows scrunching in sympathy. "Please, let me know if I can help you in any way."

"Thank you," Ruth's smile was more than halfhearted and stretched the whole way across her face this time. "Would you like to buy some seeds?"

"Yes, please!" Dilan grinned back, scanning a laminated paper that advertised all of the seeds that Marimba Farm was currently selling. "I'd like ten tomato seeds, ten lettuce seeds, and ten cabbage seeds, please."

"Altogether, that comes too…" Ruth punched some numbers in on her cash register and looked back up at Dilan as it dinged with an answer. "About 400 G. Do you have G, or do you only have mainland currency?"

"Mayor Hamilton was willing enough to lend me 1000 G," Dilan dug around in her backpack and pulled out her wallet, which contained about 500 G. "Here you go!" She handed over 400 G and took the seeds that Ruth handed her in return. "Thank you very much, and I'll see you again soon!" Dilan waved as she stepped out the door.

"Good luck!" Ruth replied, shooting Dilan another full smile.

**_So I've done a lot of writing for this particular story, so I'll be updating it a lot more regularly now. I'm on break from university for another two weeks so hopefully I'll be able to get a lot of writing done for A Very Fond Farewell and Sweet and Sour. I hope this chapter makes up for the last one, which was shorter than I'll be making my usual chapters. Enjoy and please leave a review if you loved it or if you hated it!_**


End file.
